


What the Present Offers

by MooncatEclipse (Wolfgrowl)



Series: Wondrous Tails Bingo Event [18]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: I can have some self-indulgence as a treat, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24041002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfgrowl/pseuds/MooncatEclipse
Summary: Ardbert's a bit slow on the uptake sometimes but Nijoh'ir and Haurchefant still love him.  Just want him to realize that.
Relationships: Ardbert/Warrior of Light/Haurchefant Greystone
Series: Wondrous Tails Bingo Event [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1670677
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	What the Present Offers

**Author's Note:**

> For the Prompt: Polyamory discussion
> 
> This is set in the universe I have where the Warriors of Darkness were restored to life at the end of Shadowbringers. (It brings me joy okay?)

Nijoh’ir perched on Haurchefant’s desk, watching as he wrote a report, his tail absently flicking but silent as he observed him.

“You seem lost in thought,” Haurchefant observed, offering a fond smile, “perhaps thought of a certain handsome warrior you brought back from the First with you?”

“Maybe,” Nijoh’ir twitched his ears, “you’re- you’re okay with this right? Like actually into him and not just trying to make me happy because if you’re not into him we don’t have to-”

“Nijoh’ir,” Haurchefant shoved his report in a drawer, full of countless other reports, one corner sticking out as he closed it, “my dearest love, you are worrying too much.” He caught Nijoh’ir’s jaw to kiss him, “I know what he means to you, yes. His friendship was invaluable to you, and you see yourself in him. However,” Haurchefant smirked slightly, “do you doubt I would not speak up if I truly wanted you all to myself.”

Nijoh’ir’s ears flattened slightly before he let out a sigh, “yeah, yeah you would. I just… he hasn’t responded so I’m getting jittery.”

“He does strike me as being a bit oblivious,” Haurchefant agreed, he smiled slightly, “but that is part of his charm.” He glanced over at Nijoh’ir, “further, to your question, how could I oppose having two splendid warriors to fawn over as they return victorious yet again? Two men devoted to their worlds and their people and willing to serve?”

“Gods, with how excited you get, two of us might not be enough.” Nijoh’ir grinned at him as Haurchefant leaned into his space for another kiss, tangling his hands in silver hair, “should we simply give him more time?”

“Yes, patience, love.” Haurchefant murmured between kisses, “give him time to adjust to all that has happened to him, and time to realize what the present is offering him as well.”

Nijoh’ir kissed him back eagerly, “and what are you offering?”

Now Haurchefant smirked, “whatever would please you to have.”

\---

Meanwhile in the First, Ardbert was relaying his own crisis to his friends.

“And like, he keeps eyeing me up, and I’d be flattered but he’s Nijoh’ir’s boyfriend and I- should I say something?”

“Does Nijoh’ir know his boyfriend’s checking you out?” Nyelbert asked absently, reaching over to steal a piece of food of Branden’s plate while he was distracted, waving it at Ardbert, “he strikes me as observant, not unlike our Renda-Rae, so if he’s aware something’s up…”

“That’s just it!” Ardbert waved his hand, “he watched Haurchefant do it and then winked at me.”

Lamitt reached for her drink, the dwarf heaved a sigh that one did not need Renda-Rae’s hearing to catch.

“What about Nijoh’ir, you two are close, he done anything else?” Branden asked, eyebrows lifted with a smirk.

“Not that I’ve noticed? We’ve sparred a few times, and he’s offered to provide anything I need while I’m on the Source, which is partially why I’m at Camp Dragonhead so often, he said Lord Haurchefant would provide a room-”

“Hold up.” Renda-Rae held up one hand, the Mystel leveling a long look at him, “he invited you there?”

“Yes.”

“And he winked at you after his boyfriend checked you out?”

Ardbert nodded slowly, “please be kind with me, I’m very confused.”

“Ardbert, I love you but you’re dense as a rock.” She replied flatly, Nyelbert smothering a laugh, “they might just have to spell it out for you.”

“Oh gods, they’re both into me.” Ardbert’s eyes widened as his friends grinned at him,

“There we go!” Branden reached over to clap him on the back, “knew you’d figure it out.”

“Into you?” Lamitt spoke up, setting her mug back on the table, “Ardbert, it sounds like they’re practically having you move in with them.”

“I- I didn’t realize.” He rubbed the back of his neck, ignoring Nyelbert’s muttered comment of “we gathered,” to look at his friends for help, “so… what should I do?”

“Are you interested in them?” Renda-Rae asked, her hand shot across the table to steal a piece of Nyelbert’s food, smirking at him as he gawked at her, “‘cause if ya are, you should go for it.”

“Agreed,” Branden nodded solemnly, the mirth fading from him for a moment, “if this is something you want Ardbert, you should go for it.”

“Equally,” Lamitt added, “if you aren’t interested, you should let them know.”

Ardbert looked down at the table, stirring his own meal with a fork, “do you think Nijoh’ir would be okay with that?”

His friends all stared at him as he continued, “he and I grew close in his time here and I wouldn’t wish to ruin that, nor would I wish to offend Lord Haurchefant, he has been wonderful to me, and I-”

“Ardbert.” Renda-Rae cut in, “are you into them or not?”

“It shouldn’t be that hard of a question,” Nyelbert added, leaning against his hand to watch him, “given every time you come back from the Source you spend the next day talking our ears off about them.”

Ardbert resembled a fish for a moment, mouth working but no sound coming out before he turned to Lamitt, “do I?”

Lamitt reached over to lightly touch his hand, “Ardbert. Do you remember when you came back the first time, and talked about how Nijoh’ir had only had himself and Amasar this whole time, and you wanted to let us know you’d be helping him out because you were worried about him?”

“Yes?”

Lamitt nodded slowly, “we knew then.”

“Yeah, you get kind of moonstruck when Nijoh’ir’s around,” Renda-Rae smiled at him, ears wiggling slightly, “I can practically hear your crush lover boy.”

“Oh right now all I hear is his panic and obliviousness,” Nyelbert grinned at Ardbert who flipped him off. This did not help because it only made his companions laugh harder.

Lamitt though gently patted his hand again, “go talk to them, Ardbert. Work it out with them.”

Ardbert took a deep breath and nodded, “alright.” He got to his feet, “wish me luck.”

The group chorused that eagerly, Ardbert stopped a moment to be grateful, if for nothing else, that he’d gotten a second chance with them again. He gave them a wave and started off, he could do this.

“If you come back before you’ve talked to them we’ll mock you,” Branden added, Ardbert gave him a dirty look over his shoulder as he headed out of The Wandering Stairs, “yeah alright, I get it!” He rolled his eyes with a smile, before preparing to jump to the Source once more.

\--

Ardbert’s knuckles rapped against the door, he heard a few muffled curses and coughed awkwardly.

“Uh, if I’m interrupting something I can come back later.”

The door flew open, Nijoh’ir standing there in low slung pants (Ardbert suddenly realized that when he was a Bard he always wore incredibly tight pants, like he’d known but in this moment he _knew_ ) and no shirt, which exposed the trail of bites and bruises over his shoulders, “uh, hey.”

Ardbert made a noise in his throat in response, eyes glued to the bite right on Nijoh’ir’s collarbone, “uh, I- I should come back.”

“No, by all means,” Haurchefant appeared behind his boyfriend and Ardbert about swallowed his tongue. There was a similar trail of marks over Haurchefant, however these clearly had fang marks. Gods be good, what would it feel like to have Nijoh’ir’s fangs just dig into his skin, just enough to mark him, while Haurchefant watched.

“Ardbert?” Nijoh’ir’s voice was strained.

“Please tell me you did not just hear that somehow.”

“Hear _what?_ ”

Haurchefant gently moved Nijoh’ir out of the way, “why don’t you come in Ardbert.” His eyes lingered on him, he hoped he looked more put together than he felt, “we can put shirts on if that would help.”

“No! I mean, uh yes? Maybe? If you want to!”

Nijoh’ir stared at him, Ardbert had half a mind to teleport directly back to the Source, he could just hide from his friends for a couple days. It would be fine.

Haurchefant was smiling though, which would normally put Ardbert at ease, Nijoh’ir had been right the man was so kind it was hard not to relax around him, however his gaze was lingering on Ardbert, and when he smiled like that while shirtless it was clear his intentions were not entirely pure.

Ardbert coughed slightly, “really, if this isn’t a good time, I can come back.”

Nijoh’ir bent down to grab his shirt from the floor, Haurchefant recovered his from the table, both easily sliding them on, all while assuring him that it was no trouble.

Ardbert pulled in a breath and stepped forward. He had saved his world from the Ascians, caused the Flood of Light, he had done countless things, heroic and terrible alike, but of all of them this was one of the hardest.

He met Nijoh’ir’s eyes, the Warrior of Light smiled at him and nodded, a hint of mischief to his gaze as well, but looking between the two of them, to see both ~~Elf~~ Elezen and ~~Mystel~~ Miqo’te both look at him with curiosity and openness, and perhaps, if even only in his imagination, fondness, gave him the courage.

“I feel like Nyelbert and Branden are betting on whether or not I weasel out of this.” Ardbert admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, “but here I am.”

“Here you are,” Haurchefant agreed, his voice warm and encouraging. Nijoh’ir’s angled his ears towards him curiously, head cocked slightly, just enough to make Ardbert smile.

“If you’ll have me.”

“What?” Nijoh’ir looked startled and gawked at him a moment, he and Haurchefant looking to each other and then back to Ardbert.

“Say that again,” Haurchefant leaned forward, a delighted smile on his face, Ardbert looked from him to Nijoh’ir and then back.

“Here I am, if you’ll have me. Took me long enough to figure out what you two were up to, and a bit of convincing but I’m here now.”

“If we’ll have you,” Nijoh’ir repeated with wonder, getting to his feet, “as if that was a question.”

He crossed the room to stand before Ardbert, grinning widely and ears wiggling, “can I kiss you?”

Haurchefant also got to his feet, “I would like to as well, if that would be alright.”

Ardbert’s face felt warm but he shook his head, “as if that was a question.”


End file.
